Not Your Mother's Personality Typing

My Journey from Personal Energy to the Personal Feng Shui Elements

Personality typing. It’s a popular way to categorize yourself into a neat little package, complete with a cute label like a sign, element or four letter acronym that supposedly sums you up perfectly.

Understandable bytes of information that can be sent, stored and shared. Easily consumable products that can be devoured in a single sitting. Genius psychoanalysis without doing time on the couch or having to pay by the hour.

Trendy ways to connect with the cool kids in the club. A seemingly appropriate sorting system that separates the jocks from the nerds and the rockers from the mean girls. Time tested and proven methods to systematically reduce a person to a specific set of traits and characteristics. Correct, but kind of confining.

Clearly defined cliques with secret codes and handshakes, languages and passwords, initiation rituals and unspoken rules. Groups that are impossible to get into, members of which are lifers, whether they want to be or not. Circles that orbit around the same concentric world views and share the same values.

And with the plethora of free content rich information on the Internet, people can study these various personality typing systems without ever buying a book or spending a dime. They can answer a few questions on a pop quiz on social media, take a personality test on an official website or read an article on a blog written by an “expert”. All from the comfort of wherever they happen to be sitting with their WiFi connected device of choice.

It reminds me of a scene from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang when the children are lured out of their safe hiding place by the hawking of a deliciously long list of sweet treats, followed by the promise that it’s “All free today!” We know what happened to the hungry children who salivated with just the thought of a nice big slice of treacle tart.

I have indulged in this feast for the ego and enjoyed reading some amazingly accurate descriptions of my personality type. Some resonate more than others. Some have contributed more to me than others. And connecting with others of the same sign or type can be highly gratifying.

You’ve heard people say, “Shout out to all my Virgos!” Or, “Where are my fellow ENFPs at?”

As an energy aficionado, my first introduction to profiling was Pamela Oslie’s book about auras, called Life Colors. Next, I moved onto the spiritual essence of certain volunteer souls called starseeds, who we’ve also classified by color: Indigo, Blue Ray, Crystal and Rainbow.

Then, I got feng shui’d. And as they say, the rest is history.

Before the Internet and personal computers were a thing, as I was browsing in my local bookstore, aptly named Just Browsing, I looked up my astrological sign. It resonated but it didn’t really help me much. And now that they’ve added a 13th sign it can throw the astrology off, at least for people born after 2012.

When my family and I would go to the local Chinese restaurant, while waiting for our hot and sour soup and kung pao chicken, we would find our birth year on the red and gold paper placemats to determine our Chinese zodiac animal. The few descriptive lines and compatible animal signs were interesting, but again, it didn’t contribute much to me. So, I‘m an intelligent, intuitive and wise Snake, who tends to be a loner and likes my privacy. Didn’t need a fortune cookie to tell me that!

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I took the Meyers-Briggs’ personality test. I joined a few Facebook groups with other female members of the same rare personality type and a lot of what they post, I totally “got”. But again, I think that this psychological evaluation helps other people explain my behavior more than it actually helps me understand myself. So, I am an introverted intuitive who takes the time to think critically and makes discerning judgements. Anyone who knows me would agree that description matches my resting bitch face. I’m not mad. I’m just pensive, I swear!

Then, of course, there’s the super complex Chinese BaZi astrology. I’ve studied my own “destiny” chart, but personally I don’t choose to invest my energy in some predestined future. Sounds like a lifetime subscription to a set of limiting beliefs to me! I’m sure a lot of it could be true and even helpful with a thoughtful and wise approach. It’s just not for me.

Of course, there are other personality typing systems. Eastern philosophy has several variations of their personality systems. (For more on that read, What’s Your Element?) Dr. Jordan Peterson has created a personality test based on the Big Five personality traits. There are the popular nine basic Enneagram types and their wings, that emerged from the human potential movement. And the newest online trend, Human Design, based on astrology. All interesting, worth exploring and even possibly quite valuable.

But the one that resonates the most deeply with me? The 8 Elements. Not Astrology. Not Psychology. Not a Personality Test. Not a Destiny Chart. The 8 Elements is about discovering your unique personal energy.

Energy!  I’ve come full circle.  From the colored energy of my violet aura to the personal energy of my Water element.

The 8 Elements is about honoring your personal energy. Clarifying your needs. Identifying your highest values. Utilizing your strengths. Consciously being  a full embodiment and expression of who you are. And creating a life that both represents and supports YOU!

The 8 Elements is also about innerstanding the relationship dynamic you have with others. Being in allowance of who they are. Honoring who they are. And being able to be authentic in your relationships with them.

The 8 Elements is about simple principles and practical ways to balance your energy and be in harmony with others. It is feng shui for you! Remedies and enhancements, not for your space, but for your personal energy and relationship dynamics.

The 8 Elements takes us from knowing to honoring, from balancing to being. From innerstanding to accepting to celebrating.  From making peace with our past to creating a future that is worthy of who we are becoming along the way.

Ready to start honoring you? Discover your personal feng shui element here.

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